Café Wall Illusion

Cafe Wall Illusion

The Cafe Wall Illusion is a geometric optical illusion that is created by the alignment of parallel lines in a checkerboard pattern. The parallel lines appear to be tilted or slanted, even though they are actually straight.

This illusion is caused by the interaction of the lines with the edges of the squares in the checkerboard pattern, which creates the illusion of depth and perspective.

Cafe Wall Illusion
The Café Wall Illusion

Table of Contents


How does the Café Wall Illusion work?

The Cafe Wall Illusion works by creating the illusion of depth and perspective through the interaction of parallel lines and the edges of the squares in the checkerboard pattern. The parallel lines in the pattern create the illusion of rows of bricks that appear to be slanted, even though they are actually straight. The edges of the squares in the pattern also play a role in creating the illusion by creating the perception of shadows and highlights on the “bricks.”

The way the lines and edges interact with each other creates a conflict in the brain between the perception of the lines as straight and the perception of the rows as tilted. The brain resolves this conflict by interpreting the rows as slanted, which creates the illusion of depth and perspective. Additionally, the alternating light and dark rows also contribute to the illusion, as the brain perceives them as different depths of the wall.

The illusion is also affected by the viewer’s distance from the image, as the perceived tilt of the lines changes as the viewer moves closer or farther away. This is because the angle of the lines changes relative to the viewer’s perspective, which changes the way the lines and edges interact with each other.

Versions of the Café Wall Illusion

The following are some alternate versions of the Café Wall Illusion:

Cafe-Wall-Illusion-Building-Wikimedia-Source
From Wikimedia Commons
Cafe-Wall-Illusion-Original-Cafe-with-Richard-Gregory-Wikimedia-Source.
Original Cafe with-discoverer Richard Gregory from Wikimedia Commons
Cafe-Wall-Illusion-Blue-and-Black
Cafe-Wall-Illusion-Orange-and-Black


Cafe-Wall-Illusion-Red-and-Blue.
Cafe-Wall-Illusion-Purple-Yellow-and-Black


Illusions like the Café Wall Illusion

The following are some illusions similar to the Café Wall Illusion.

The Rotating Snakes is a peripheral drift illusion that consists of a grid of shapes, with some of them appearing to be rotating or undulating. The illusion is created by the interaction of the shapes with the neural processing of the visual system.

Rotating Snakes Autokinetic effect


The Moiré pattern illusion: This illusion is created by superimposing two similar patterns on top of each other, such as a grid of lines or circles. The resulting pattern appears to be moving or changing.

Moiré_pattern
From Wikimedia Commons


The Scintillating Grid Illusion, in which a grid of black and white squares appears to pulsate or “breathe” when viewed from the periphery of the image.

Simultaneous Contrast Illusion


The Zöllner illusion is a visual illusion in which parallel lines appear to be angled due to the presence of intersecting lines.

The illusion is often used to study the brain’s perception of shape and spatial relationships. It is considered one of the most powerful and striking examples of a geometrical-optical illusion. The perception of the illusion can be explained by the brain’s tendency to group lines together based on their similarity in direction and spacing, which can lead to an overestimation of the angle between the parallel lines.

Zöllner illusion


The Müller-Lyer illusion: This illusion involves lines with arrowheads at the ends, which can make a line appear longer or shorter depending on the direction of the arrowheads.

müller-lyer illusion



The Poggendorff illusion is a visual illusion in which the brain perceives a diagonal line as being interrupted by an object, even though the line is actually continuous. The illusion is created by the misalignment of two parallel lines that are intersected by a third line at a certain angle.

Poggendorff illusion transparent gray bar



The Orbison illusion is an illusion of movement that is created when stationary, parallel lines are placed on a background of radiating lines. The parallel lines appear to be moving in the direction of the radiating lines, even though they are actually stationary. This illusion is thought to be caused by the interaction between the parallel lines and the radiating lines, which creates an illusion of movement in the brain.

Orbison Illusion



The Wundt illusion is an optical illusion produces an inversed effect compared to the Hering Illusion. The vertical lines are both straight, but they may look as if they are curved inwards.

Wundt Illusion



Discovery of the Café Wall Illusion

The Cafe Wall Illusion was first described by the British psychologist Richard Gregory in the 1970s.

Gregory was a cognitive psychologist who made significant contributions to the field of visual perception, including the discovery of the Cafe Wall Illusion.

He published his findings on the illusion in the journal “Nature” in 1973. Gregory was also known for his work on the perception of illusory contours and the perception of the Necker cube, which is another famous optical illusion.

References and Resources

Check out our complete list of illusions.

.

Sign Up to Have Your Mind Blown

Sarcone Müller-Lyer Illusion

muller-lyer-illusion-blue-lines-sharp-angle

The Müller-Lyer illusion is a visual perception illusion that consists of two lines of equal length, with arrows at each end pointing either inward or outward. The line with the inward-pointing arrows appears shorter than the line with the outward-pointing arrows, even though they are actually the same length. This illusion is often used in research on visual perception and the neural basis of perception. The classic Müller-Lyer illusion is depicted below.

müller-lyer illusion
The Müller-Lyer Illusion

Visual artist G. Sarcone has created a series of Müller-Lyer adaptations that create the illusion of motion. The following is a simple version.

Dynamic_muller_lyer2B Sarcone


Table of Contents


How does the Standard Müller-Lyer Illusion work?

The Müller-Lyer illusion works by exploiting the brain’s tendency to interpret the visual information it receives in the context of other visual information. In the case of the Müller-Lyer illusion, the brain interprets the lines with inward-pointing arrows as being part of a concave shape, and the lines with outward-pointing arrows as being part of a convex shape. This interpretation leads the brain to perceive the lines with inward-pointing arrows as being shorter than they actually are, and the lines with outward-pointing arrows as being longer than they actually are.

This illusion is thought to be caused by the visual system’s use of depth cues, such as the size and angle of the arrowheads, to infer the three-dimensional structure of the lines. The visual system uses these cues to perceive the lines as being part of a 3D figure and not just a 2D representation. The perception of depth and distance are affected by the context of the arrowheads, which fool the visual system into perceiving the lines as if they were in different distances and therefore different sizes.

Another explanation of the illusion is based on the concept of “Gestalt grouping” where the brain organizes different elements in a scene into groups based on certain rules such as proximity, similarity, and continuity. The arrowheads in the Müller-Lyer illusion creates a sense of continuation and proximity between the lines and the arrowheads which leads to the perception of the lines as being different in length.


Dynamic Sarcone Versions of the Müller-Lyer Illusion

Sarcone_Sinusoiral_Muller_Lyer_Illusion
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Sarcones_Pulsating_Star_Dynamic_Muller-Lyer_illusion
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons


Muller_courbes_sinusB

MullerLyer_star_kaleidoscope


Muller_lyer_zig-zag


Muller_lyer_smooth


Illusions like the Müller-Lyer Illusion

There are many other visual perception illusions that work in similar ways to the Müller-Lyer illusion. Some examples include:

The Poggendorff illusion: This illusion is similar to the Müller-Lyer illusion, but instead of arrowheads, it uses a diagonal line that intersects two parallel lines. The brain perceives the diagonal line as being tilted, causing the parallel lines to appear as if they are not parallel.

Poppendorff Illusion Lines


The Ebbinghaus illusion: This illusion involves circles of different sizes, but with the same-sized circles placed close to each other. The brain perceives the smaller circles as being larger when they are placed next to larger circles.

Ebbinghaus Illusion


The T illusion: This illusion involves a T-shaped figure with a horizontal bar and a vertical bar. The brain perceives the vertical bar as being longer than the horizontal bar, even though they are the same length.

T Illusion


The Kanizsa triangle: This illusion is created by placing Pac-Man-like shapes around an invisible triangle. The brain perceives the triangle as if it were a real, visible triangle.

Kanizsa Triangle Illusion


The Zöllner illusion: This illusion involves parallel lines with diagonal lines intersecting them. The brain perceives the lines as if they were not parallel and that the diagonal lines are converging.

Zöllner illusion


Moon illusion: This illusion involves the perception of the Moon appearing larger when it is near the horizon compared to when it is high in the sky.

Moon Illusion


Ponzo illusion: This illusion involves the perception of an object appearing larger or smaller depending on the size of the surrounding context.

Ponzo Illusion


The Café Wall Illusion is a visual illusion that is created by a grid of alternating light and dark horizontal and vertical lines. The lines appear to be bent or tilted, even though they are actually straight.

Cafe Wall Illusion


All these illusions are based on the brain’s perception of visual context, depth cues, and grouping rules. These illusions help to understand how the brain interprets visual information and how it can be deceived.

Discovery of the Müller-Lyer Illusion

The Müller-Lyer illusion is a visual perception illusion that was first described by Franz Carl Müller-Lyer in 1889.

Franz Carl Müller-Lyer (1857-1916) was a German sociologist, psychologist, and philosopher. He is best known for his work on visual perception and the Müller-Lyer illusion, which is named after him. He studied at the University of Heidelberg and later at the University of Leipzig, where he received his Ph.D. in 1879.

In 1882, he published a book “Visual illusions: their causes, characteristics, and applications,” in which he described and illustrated the Müller-Lyer illusion, which is considered one of the most famous illusions in the field of psychology. He also wrote several books on the topic of social psychology, including “The People of Primitive Societies” and “The Social Order.”

Müller-Lyer was also a social reformer and advocated for better housing and living conditions for the working class. He was also interested in the relationship between society and the individual and his work aimed to bridge the gap between the social sciences, such as sociology and psychology.

Müller-Lyer died in 1916 in Munich, Germany. His work on the Müller-Lyer illusion and his contributions to the field of social psychology are still widely studied today.

References and Resources

Check out our complete list of illusions.

Sarcone, Gianni A. “Dynamic Müller-Lyer Illusion.” From Sarcone’s Studio — A Sarcone & Waeber Web Resource. http://giannisarcone.com/Muller_lyer_illusion.html


Sign Up to Have Your Mind Blown

Troxler’s Fading

Lilac-Chaser_Troxlers Fading

Troxler’s fading, also known as Troxler’s effect, is a phenomenon in which a stationary visual stimulus eventually disappears from perception, even though it is still present in the visual field.

This occurs because the human visual system adapts to constant stimuli and eventually stops responding to them.

Lilac-Chaser_Troxlers Fading
From Wikimedia Commons
After staring at the cross for several seconds, the dots fade away

Table of Contents

How does Troxler’s Fading work?

Troxler’s fading occurs because of the way the human visual system processes information. The visual system is constantly receiving a flood of information from the eyes, and it must filter out the most important information in order to make sense of the world. One way it does this is by adapting to constant stimuli, so that they no longer capture our attention.

When a visual stimulus is presented in the same location for a prolonged period of time, the neurons in the brain that respond to that stimulus become less responsive, and eventually stop responding altogether. This is known as neural adaptation. As a result, the stimulus disappears from perception, even though it is still present in the visual field.

In addition to neural adaptation, other mechanisms such as lateral inhibition and surround suppression also play a role in Troxler’s fading. Lateral inhibition refers to the process by which the activation of one neuron in the visual system can inhibit the activity of neighboring neurons, which could lead to reduced perception of a stimulus. Surround suppression refers to the phenomenon where the presence of a stimulus in the surround of the fixation point can suppress perception of the stimulus at the fixation point.

Troxler’s fading effect is not limited to visual perception, but can be observed in other senses as well, such as touch and hearing.

Versions of the Troxler’s Fading

The following are some other examples of the Troxler’s Fading

Troxler-Fading
From Wikimedia Commons
After staring at the cross for several seconds, colors fade away



Toxler-Fading-Blue-Circle-Red-Dot
From Wikimedia Commons
After staring at the dot for several seconds, the colored ring fades away



Illusions like Troxler’s Fading

The following are some illusions that are related to Troxler’s Fading

The Phi phenomenon is the illusion of movement created by the rapid succession of static images or light sources.

It is the perceptual phenomenon that explains how the human brain perceives motion when presented with a sequence of still images or light sources that are displayed in rapid succession.

Magni-phi-phenomonon.
From Wikimedia Commons


The Rotating Snakes is a peripheral drift illusion that consists of a grid of shapes, with some of them appearing to be rotating or undulating. The illusion is created by the interaction of the shapes with the neural processing of the visual system.

Rotating Snakes Autokinetic effect


The Moiré pattern illusion: This illusion is created by superimposing two similar patterns on top of each other, such as a grid of lines or circles. The resulting pattern appears to be moving or changing.

Moiré_pattern
From Wikimedia Commons

The Scintillating Grid Illusion, in which a grid of black and white squares appears to pulsate or “breathe” when viewed from the periphery of the image.

Simultaneous Contrast Illusion



The Hermann Grid Illusion, in which the intersections of a white grid on a black background appear to be gray, even though they are actually the same color as the background.

Hermann-Grid Illusion


The Zöllner Illusion, in which parallel lines appear to be tilted or bent when intersected by diagonal lines.

Zöllner illusion


The Fraser Spiral Illusion, in which a pattern of short, curved lines appears to form a spiral.

Fraser-spiral-illusion.



The Hering Illusion, in which two straight lines appear to be curved due to the presence of surrounding lines.

Hering Illusion


The Café Wall Illusion is a visual illusion that is created by a grid of alternating light and dark horizontal and vertical lines. The lines appear to be bent or tilted, even though they are actually straight.

Cafe Wall Illusion



These illusions are usually caused by the way our eyes process visual information and the way the brain interprets it. They can also be caused by the interaction of different visual elements, such as lines and angles, in the image. They are often used in research on visual perception and the neural basis of perception.

Discovery of Troxler’s Fading

The effect is named after the Swiss physician and philosopher Ignaz Paul Vital Troxler, who first described it in 1804.

Ignaz Paul Vital Troxler was a Swiss physician and philosopher, born in 1780 and died in 1866. He was a physician in a Swiss hospital, and is most well-known for describing the phenomenon of Troxler’s fading, also known as Troxler’s effect, in 1804.

He first described this phenomenon in his doctoral thesis, in which he observed that a stationary visual stimulus, such as a fixed point, eventually disappears from perception even though it is still present in the visual field. He explained this phenomenon as being due to the adaptation of the retina to constant stimulus.

Troxler also made contributions to other fields, such as philosophy, psychology, and pedagogy. He published a number of papers on these subjects, and his ideas were well-received by his contemporaries.

He was also a professor at the University of Basel, where he taught anatomy and physiology.

References and Resources

Check out our complete list of illusions and check out this Cool version of Troxler’s fading

Phi Phenomenon

Magni-phi-phenomonon.

The Phi phenomenon is the illusion of movement created by the rapid succession of static images or light sources.

It is the perceptual phenomenon that explains how the human brain perceives motion when presented with a sequence of still images or light sources that are displayed in rapid succession.

Magni-phi-phenomonon.
Phi Phenomenon
From Wikimedia Commons

Table of Contents

How does the Phi Phenomenon work?

The Phi phenomenon works by taking advantage of the way the human visual system processes information. The brain is able to perceive motion when it receives a series of still images or light sources that are displayed in rapid succession. This happens because the brain is able to fill in the gaps between the images or light sources and create the illusion of continuous movement.

When the brain receives a series of still images or light sources that are displayed in rapid succession, it processes them as if they were a single moving image. This is because the brain is able to fill in the gaps between the images or light sources and create the illusion of continuous movement. The brain does this by comparing the images or light sources to each other and determining the direction and speed of the motion.

The rate at which the images or light sources are displayed is also important in creating the illusion of motion. If the images or light sources are displayed too slowly, the brain will not be able to perceive motion. If they are displayed too quickly, the brain will not be able to process the information and the motion will appear choppy or jerky.

In summary, The Phi phenomenon is a perceptual illusion of movement created by the rapid succession of static images or light sources, works by the way the human visual system processes information, fills in the gaps between the images or light sources and creates the illusion of continuous movement, and the rate at which the images or light sources are displayed is also important in creating the illusion of motion.

Versions of the Phi Phenomenon Effect

The following are some other examples of the Phi Phenomenon

Phi Phenomenon Black Bars
From Wikimedia Commons



Phi_Phenomenon Yellow Circles
From Wikimedia Commons



Illusions like the Phi Phenomenon

The following are some illusions that are related to the Phi Phenomenon

Troxler’s fading, also known as Troxler’s effect, is a phenomenon in which a stationary visual stimulus, such as a dot or a shape, disappears from perception after a certain period of time.

Lilac-Chaser_Troxlers Fading
From Wikimedia Commons


The Rotating Snakes is a peripheral drift illusion that consists of a grid of shapes, with some of them appearing to be rotating or undulating. The illusion is created by the interaction of the shapes with the neural processing of the visual system.

Rotating Snakes Autokinetic effect


The Moiré pattern illusion: This illusion is created by superimposing two similar patterns on top of each other, such as a grid of lines or circles. The resulting pattern appears to be moving or changing.

Moiré_pattern
From Wikimedia Commons

The Scintillating Grid Illusion, in which a grid of black and white squares appears to pulsate or “breathe” when viewed from the periphery of the image.

Simultaneous Contrast Illusion



The Hermann Grid Illusion, in which the intersections of a white grid on a black background appear to be gray, even though they are actually the same color as the background.

Hermann-Grid Illusion


The Zöllner Illusion, in which parallel lines appear to be tilted or bent when intersected by diagonal lines.

Zöllner illusion


The Fraser Spiral Illusion, in which a pattern of short, curved lines appears to form a spiral.

Fraser-spiral-illusion.



The Hering Illusion, in which two straight lines appear to be curved due to the presence of surrounding lines.

Hering Illusion


The Café Wall Illusion is a visual illusion that is created by a grid of alternating light and dark horizontal and vertical lines. The lines appear to be bent or tilted, even though they are actually straight.

Cafe Wall Illusion



These illusions are usually caused by the way our eyes process visual information and the way the brain interprets it. They can also be caused by the interaction of different visual elements, such as lines and angles, in the image. They are often used in research on visual perception and the neural basis of perception.

Discovery of the Phi Phenomenon

The autokinetic effect was first described by German psychologist Max Wertheimer in 1912.

Max Wertheimer (April 15, 1880 – October 12, 1943) was a German psychologist, a founding member of the Gestalt school of psychology, and one of the key figures in the development of cognitive psychology.

He studied at the Charles-Ferdinand University in Prague and later at the University of Frankfurt where he got his PhD in Psychology. He then worked at the University of Berlin, the Psychological Institute of the University of Frankfurt, and the Psychological Institute of the University of Würzburg.

Wertheimer is best known for his work on the perception of movement, specifically the “phi phenomenon” and the “autokinetic effect.” He observed that when a series of lights are presented in rapid succession, they create the illusion of movement, even though each light is stationary. He also observed that when a single point of light is presented in a dark room, people perceive it as moving, even though it is stationary. These observations led Wertheimer to propose the idea that the mind organizes sensory information in patterns, rather than simply responding to individual stimuli.

His work on the “Gestalt” psychology influenced other researchers and also artists and designers, as it pointed out the importance of the context and the whole in the understanding of the perception.

References and Resources

Check out our complete list of illusions.

Autokinetic Effect

Autokintetic effect

The autokinetic effect is an optical illusion in which a small, stationary point of light appears to move in the dark. The effect is caused by the visual system’s inability to accurately judge the distance of the point of light, which leads to the perception of movement.

It is similar to the concept of “kinetic depth effect” in which the visual system can’t determine the depth of a single point, and so it is perceived as moving.

Autokintetic effect
Autokinetic Effect

Table of Contents

How does the Autokinetic Effect work?

The autokinetic effect is a phenomenon in which a stationary point of light in a dark room appears to move, even though it is actually still. This effect is thought to be caused by the way the brain processes visual information.

When the visual system is presented with a single point of light in a dark environment, it has difficulty determining the light’s relative motion because there are no other visual cues to compare it to. As a result, the brain perceives the light as moving, even though it is not.

The autokinetic effect has been used in research to study perception and cognition, particularly in regards to the perception of movement. It has also been used to study the effects of factors such as attention, arousal, and cognitive set on the perception of movement.

The effect can be reduced by providing additional visual cues, such as adding more lights or providing a reference point.

In aviation, the autokinetic effect can be a problem when pilots are trying to determine the relative motion of a light in the sky. The effect can cause a stationary light, such as a star or a light on a stationary aircraft, to appear to be moving.

This can lead to confusion and disorientation for pilots, particularly when flying at night or in low-visibility conditions.

To counter the autokinetic effect, pilots use various visual cues, such as the horizon, other lights in the sky, or the movement of other aircraft, to help determine the relative motion of a light.

Additionally, aircraft instrumentation, such as radar and navigation systems, can also be used to help pilots accurately determine the position and movement of other aircraft.

Versions of the Autokinetic Effect

The following are some other examples of the Autokinetic effect:

Autokintetic-example-heart


Autokintetic-example
Autokintetic-example-thumbnail black and white
Autokintetic-example-three
Autokintetic-example
Autokintetic-example
Autokintetic-example circles black and white



Illusions like the Autokinetic Effect

The following are some illusions that are related to the Autokinetic effect.


The Rotating Snakes is a peripheral drift illusion that consists of a grid of shapes, with some of them appearing to be rotating or undulating. The illusion is created by the interaction of the shapes with the neural processing of the visual system.

Rotating Snakes Autokinetic effect


The Moiré pattern illusion: This illusion is created by superimposing two similar patterns on top of each other, such as a grid of lines or circles. The resulting pattern appears to be moving or changing.

Moiré_pattern
From Wikimedia Commons

The Scintillating Grid Illusion, in which a grid of black and white squares appears to pulsate or “breathe” when viewed from the periphery of the image.

Simultaneous Contrast Illusion



The Hermann Grid Illusion, in which the intersections of a white grid on a black background appear to be gray, even though they are actually the same color as the background.

Hermann-Grid Illusion


The Zöllner Illusion, in which parallel lines appear to be tilted or bent when intersected by diagonal lines.

Zöllner illusion


The Fraser Spiral Illusion, in which a pattern of short, curved lines appears to form a spiral.

Fraser-spiral-illusion.



The Hering Illusion, in which two straight lines appear to be curved due to the presence of surrounding lines.

Hering Illusion


The Café Wall Illusion is a visual illusion that is created by a grid of alternating light and dark horizontal and vertical lines. The lines appear to be bent or tilted, even though they are actually straight.

Cafe Wall Illusion



These illusions are usually caused by the way our eyes process visual information and the way the brain interprets it. They can also be caused by the interaction of different visual elements, such as lines and angles, in the image. They are often used in research on visual perception and the neural basis of perception.

Discovery of the Autokinetic Effect

The autokinetic effect was first described by German psychologist Max Wertheimer in 1912.

He observed the effect while conducting experiments on visual perception in which he presented participants with a single point of light in a dark room. He found that participants consistently reported that the light appeared to move, even though it was actually stationary.

Max Wertheimer (April 15, 1880 – October 12, 1943) was a German psychologist, a founding member of the Gestalt school of psychology, and one of the key figures in the development of cognitive psychology.

He studied at the Charles-Ferdinand University in Prague and later at the University of Frankfurt where he got his PhD in Psychology. He then worked at the University of Berlin, the Psychological Institute of the University of Frankfurt, and the Psychological Institute of the University of Würzburg.

Wertheimer is best known for his work on the perception of movement, specifically the “phi phenomenon” and the “autokinetic effect.” He observed that when a series of lights are presented in rapid succession, they create the illusion of movement, even though each light is stationary. He also observed that when a single point of light is presented in a dark room, people perceive it as moving, even though it is stationary. These observations led Wertheimer to propose the idea that the mind organizes sensory information in patterns, rather than simply responding to individual stimuli.

His work on the “Gestalt” psychology influenced other researchers and also artists and designers, as it pointed out the importance of the context and the whole in the understanding of the perception.

References and Resources

Check out our complete list of illusions.

Sign Up to Have Your Mind Blown

Rotating Snakes

Rotating Snakes Autokinetic effect

The rotating snakes is a peripheral drift illusion that consists of a grid of shapes, with some of them appearing to be rotating or undulating. The illusion is created by the interaction of the shapes with the neural processing of the visual system.

Rotating Snakes Autokinetic effect
A Version of Rotating Snakes


Table of Contents


How does the Rotating Snakes Illusion work?

Rotating snakes is a type of peripheral drift illusion.

Peripheral drift illusions refer to a group of optical illusions where an object or pattern appears to be moving even though it is stationary. These illusions are often characterized by a perceived movement in the peripheral vision, hence the name.

Peripheral drift illusions work by exploiting the way the visual system processes information from the peripheral vision. Our eyes have a higher density of receptors, called rods, in the peripheral vision than in the central vision, and these receptors are more sensitive to movement. The peripheral vision also has a lower resolution and is less sensitive to details than the central vision.

Because of these characteristics, the visual system tends to perceive movement in the peripheral vision more easily than in the central vision. In a peripheral drift illusion, the visual elements of the illusion, such as lines or angles, are arranged in such a way that they create the illusion of movement in the peripheral vision.

Another mechanism that can cause peripheral drift illusions is the way that the brain interprets visual information. The brain uses context and prior experience to make sense of visual information, and this can lead to perceptual errors. For example, in the café wall illusion, the brain interprets the angled lines as the edges of a 3D object, which creates the illusion of movement.

In summary, peripheral drift illusions exploit the characteristics of the peripheral vision, such as sensitivity to movement and lower resolution, and the way the brain interprets visual information to create the illusion of movement in stationary images.

Versions of the Rotating Snakes Illusion

The following are some alternate versions of the Rotating Snakes illusion and some other examples of peripheral drift illusions



Cafe Wall Variant with Peripheral drift
From Wikimedia Commons

Peripheral drift illusion jelly bean
From Wikimedia Commons



Peripheral drift illusion
From Wikimedia Commons


Illusions like the Rotating Snakes Illusion

Peripheral drift illusions refer to a group of optical illusions where an object or pattern appears to be moving even though it is stationary. These illusions are often characterized by a perceived movement in the peripheral vision, hence the name.

Some illusions like Rotating Snakes and peripheral drift illusion include:

The Moiré pattern illusion: This illusion is created by superimposing two similar patterns on top of each other, such as a grid of lines or circles. The resulting pattern appears to be moving or changing.


Moiré_pattern
From Wikimedia Commons


The Scintillating Grid Illusion, in which a grid of black and white squares appears to pulsate or “breathe” when viewed from the periphery of the image.

Simultaneous Contrast Illusion



The Hermann Grid Illusion, in which the intersections of a white grid on a black background appear to be gray, even though they are actually the same color as the background.

Hermann-Grid Illusion


The Zöllner Illusion, in which parallel lines appear to be tilted or bent when intersected by diagonal lines.

Zöllner illusion


The Fraser Spiral Illusion, in which a pattern of short, curved lines appears to form a spiral.

Fraser-spiral-illusion.



The Hering Illusion, in which two straight lines appear to be curved due to the presence of surrounding lines.

Hering Illusion


The Café Wall Illusion is a visual illusion that is created by a grid of alternating light and dark horizontal and vertical lines. The lines appear to be bent or tilted, even though they are actually straight.

Cafe Wall Illusion



These illusions are usually caused by the way our eyes process visual information and the way the brain interprets it. They can also be caused by the interaction of different visual elements, such as lines and angles, in the image. They are often used in research on visual perception and the neural basis of perception.


Discovery of the Rotating Snakes Illusion


The most famous variant of the rotating snakes illusion was created by Akiyoshi Kitaoka.

Akiyoshi Kitaoka is a Japanese psychologist and professor at Ritsumeikan University, known for his research and popularization of visual illusions.

He has published numerous papers and books on the topic, and has created many original illusions, such as the Rotating Snakes illusion and the “Rainbow” illusion.

He is considered one of the leading experts on visual perception and the cognitive processes that underlie it.

Kitaoka has a personal website called “Akiyoshi’s Illusion Pages” in which he displays his research and creations of illusions.

He has won several awards for his work, including the Award for Outstanding Research on Visual Perception from the Japanese Society for Visual Perception.


References and Resources

Check out our complete list of illusions.

Sign Up to Have Your Mind Blown

Zöllner Illusion

Zöllner illusion

The Zöllner illusion is a visual illusion in which parallel lines appear to be angled due to the presence of intersecting lines.

The illusion is often used to study the brain’s perception of shape and spatial relationships. It is considered one of the most powerful and striking examples of a geometrical-optical illusion. The perception of the illusion can be explained by the brain’s tendency to group lines together based on their similarity in direction and spacing, which can lead to an overestimation of the angle between the parallel lines.

Zöllner illusion
The Zöllner Illusion

Table of Contents

How does the Zöllner Illusion work?

The Zöllner illusion works by creating conflicting cues in the visual system. The parallel lines in the illusion are surrounded by intersecting lines that are angled, which causes the brain to perceive the parallel lines as angled as well.

The brain uses several cues, such as the angles of the intersecting lines, the spacing between the lines, and the relative size of the shapes to perceive the angle of the parallel lines.

When the brain receives conflicting cues, it can sometimes make errors in perception. In the case of the Zöllner illusion, the brain perceives the parallel lines as angled because the intersecting lines are angled, even though the parallel lines themselves are not.

This illusion helps to demonstrate that our perception of reality is not always accurate, and can be influenced by the context and surrounding of the visual information.

Versions of the Zöllner Illusion

The following are some alternate versions of the XX Illusion:

zollner illusion alternate version red black
zollner illusion alternate version black white horizontal

zollner illusion alternate version red black horizontal
zollner illusion alternate version black white diagonal

Illusions like the Zöllner Illusion

Illusions like the Zöllner illusion are known as geometric-optical illusions. These types of illusions are created by manipulating shapes and patterns in order to create conflicting cues in the visual system. This can cause the brain to perceive the shapes and patterns in a way that is different from reality. Some examples of other geometric-optical illusions include:

The Müller-Lyer illusion: This illusion involves lines with arrowheads at the ends, which can make a line appear longer or shorter depending on the direction of the arrowheads.

müller-lyer illusion

The Poggendorff illusion: This illusion involves two parallel lines that are interrupted by a third line or shape. The interruption can cause the parallel lines to appear angled, even though they are not.

Poggendorff illusion transparent gray bar

The Kanizsa triangle illusion: This illusion involves an illusory triangle that appears to be present in an image, even though it is not actually there. The triangle is created by the brain’s tendency to perceive shapes that are suggested by the placement of other shapes.

Kanizsa Triangle Illusion

The Hering Illusion: A visual illusion that involves the perception of curved lines as being bowed inwards or outwards.

Hering Illusion

The Café Wall Illusion is a visual illusion that is created by a grid of alternating light and dark horizontal and vertical lines. The lines appear to be bent or tilted, even though they are actually straight.

Cafe Wall Illusion

These illusions demonstrate the complex nature of visual perception and the role that context and surrounding can play in shaping our perception of reality.

Discovery of the Zöllner Illusion

The illusion was first described by German physicist and astronomer Johann Karl Friedrich Zöllner in 1860.

ohann Karl Friedrich Zöllner was a German physicist and astronomer, born in 1834 and died in 1882. He is best known for his work on visual perception, specifically for his discovery of the Zöllner illusion. He was a professor of physics at the University of Leipzig, where he performed many of his experiments on visual perception.

Zöllner was also interested in the relationship between science and spirituality, and attempted to use scientific methods to demonstrate the existence of spiritual phenomena such as ghosts and telepathy. He was a proponent of the idea that the material and spiritual worlds were connected and that scientific methods could be used to investigate spiritual phenomena.

Zöllner’s work on visual perception was influential in the field of psychology, and his discovery of the Zöllner illusion is still widely studied and used in research today. He is considered as a pioneer of the field of neuroscience and cognitive psychology.

He also made other important contributions in the field of physics, such as the design of a polarimeter, the invention of a spark-spectroscope, the study of the polarisation of light and the discovery of the phenomenon of “Zöllner lines”.

References and Resources

Check out our complete list of illusions.

Sign Up to Have Your Mind Blown